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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29028660">This Life We Choose</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaxmims/pseuds/annaxmims'>annaxmims</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Prompts [138]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s02e18 This Life We Choose, Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Established Relationship, M/M, Married Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Serious Injuries, Spoilers for Episode: s02e18 This Life We Choose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:54:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29028660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaxmims/pseuds/annaxmims</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr Prompt:</p><p>Buck works at 118 and is injured. Buck does not advertise his personal life. And at the hospital team meets his husband Eddie and son, Chris</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Prompts [138]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Tales</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>This Life We Choose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Buck groans as Hen’s gentle hands run up and down his body, checking for injuries, other than the obvious one, the 50,000-pound ladder truck crushing his leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Buck. Just hold on okay?” she whispers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice sounds like it’s miles away even though she’s right next to him. He groans again as he barely shifts his weight, making the truck seem even heavier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay still Buck,” Chimney instructs as he does his best to get the c-collar on him without jostling him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Faintly he can hear Bobby calling for backup and he feels a slight rush of adrenaline as panic sets in. He’s going to bleed out on the concrete. He won’t get to say goodbye to Eddie or Chris. His husband and son will have to plan his funeral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie,” he whines, reaching out for someone who isn’t there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hen and Chim don’t seem to hear him, too busy doing all they can to keep him stable as they wait for help to come. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly people are swarming the streets and metal creaks as Buck cries out. When his leg is free, Hen and Chimney are getting him onto the backboard as Bobby takes his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re gonna call Maddie okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M-Eddie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re calling Maddie. It’s all gonna be okay Buck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tries to focus on the sound of Bobby’s voice, but his ears are full of cotton and something is ringing in the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wants Eddie. He wants someone to hold him but he can’t get the words to come out and Eddie is too far away to hear him no matter how loud he cries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ambulance is bright and loud as Bobby clutches his hand and Hen rushes around him, hooking up lines and starting fluids. The last thing he feels is a pinch in his arm before the world fades out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie is sure he looks like a crazy person when he damn near breaks down the hospital doors to get to Buck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s been more than a little stressed since the hospital contacted him as Buck’s emergency contact. Chris had burst into tears, clinging to Eddie and begging him to come with him to see Buck. Eddie’s heart had broken just a little more when he’d dropped his sobbing son off with Pepa and raced toward the hospital, doing his best not to catch the attention of any cops, especially Athena.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He immediately spotted Maddie, waiting with the members of Buck’s team. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie,” she waved him over and enveloped him in a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maddie. Have you heard anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not yet. He’s still in surgery.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie nodded and stepped back from Maddie’s embrace. He quickly realized that everyone was shooting him strange looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain Nash,” he greeted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie. I’m glad you’re here, Buck was asking for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus,” Eddie collapsed in a chair near him, rubbing a hand over his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s gonna be alright,” Maddie sat next to him, rubbing his shoulder gently. “He has to be,” the last part seemed more for her than for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay is no one going to acknowledge the elephant in the room?” Chimney asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What Chim?” Bobby asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is he?” he gestured wildly at Eddie. “How does he know Buck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m his husband.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry what?” Hen asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Eddie. He and Buck have been married for almost two years,” Maddie clarified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And no one thought we should know?” Chim’s eyes were getting more and more wild with every sentence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was Buck’s business, no one else's.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here I was thinking Buck couldn’t keep a secret,” Hen laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah he’s still pretty horrible at that,” Eddie chuckled. “He spoiled our son’s Christmas present last year and I will never let him live that down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Buck has a kid?” Chim took the chair on Eddie’s other side, seemingly a little calmer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s mine from my first marriage. His name is Chris.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie pulled out his phone and showed Chimney a picture of his boys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The five of them sat together, swapping stories about Buck and his antics, trying their best to keep their minds off of what was happening behind the OR doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie excused himself twice to answer calls from Christopher asking for an update on Buck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Buddy I promise, you’ll know something as soon as I do. It’s late, you need to get some sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Buck isn’t here to read my story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know Chris. But I promise Buck will be back home to read you your story soon. I love you, buddy. Sleep tight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too Dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie had barely had time to lock his phone when a nurse approached their group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which one of you is Eddie Diaz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Diaz your husband sustained significant damage to his leg. Fortunately, we were able to repair the muscle and tissue damage and with extensive physical therapy he should regain full range of motion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank God. Can we see him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Family only for the time being since he is technically in the ICU. When we move him to a regular room later on the rest of you can see him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie and Eddie left the rest of the team in the waiting room, following the nurse up to Buck’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s just waking up so he may be a little out of it. Some confusion and agitation are normal but if he tries to fight he will have to be sedated. We have to keep his leg stabilized for as long as possible so try to keep him from moving around too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nurse left them alone and they entered just as Buck started to blink himself awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, baby. Do you remember what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Truck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Eddie ran a hand up and down his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chris?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s with Pepa. He’s alright, just worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be sweetheart. It’s all gonna be alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Buck faded in and out of sleep for the next few hours until the sedation finally wore off. When he was more alert and sitting up, he was allowed to eat and was moved to a regular room so that the rest of the team could see him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At almost five am, the rest of the team and Maddie cleared out, leaving Buck and Eddie alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow Buck coaxed him into joining him in the bed, even though he was sure the nurses would have something to say about it. He settled in on Buck’s good side, helping him get as comfortable as he could with his leg elevated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I guess everyone knows now huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they do. And I’m sure when you get better you’ll be getting an earful from Chim.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would expect nothing less.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya know you never told me why you call him Chimney.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a story I’m allowed to tell in public.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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